The SWM Superdual is an interesting beast and is actually the evolution of the Husqvarna TE 630, after BMW brought the Husqvarna name and the workers at the production facility in Lombardia, Italy kept the factory alive by seeking out new investment and continuing production under a new name. Keeping in mind SWM does have history…

SWM’s 650 Superdual is the road going variant and is LAMS legal.

Now that investment was from China, but the factory retains production in Italy, so this isn’t a Chinese produced machine. Granted the finish on the bike isn’t quite up to the same standard as what I’d expect from some of the bigger (more expensive) modern European or Japanese names, but part of that comes down to the asking price, and my expectations are always high.

SWM is an Italian brand with Chinese backing and manufactured in Italy.

In fact, making that comparison, it really reminds me in some ways of older machines from the ‘90s and early 2000s, which used different finishes, something particularly noticeable on the engine itself.

The overall look of the bike is pretty cool, and with the standard crash bars in red it really stands out. It needs a bit of visual punch and this is it. At the end of the day looks and style are important, and the first thing any buyer will look at is the actual bike and how they think they’ll look on it.

Finish quality is strong, with the engine just looking a little dated. The red bars are a welcome dash of colour and are standard fitment.

It is otherwise a simple package, there’s good overall attention to detail, and a solid finish quality. I’d certainly be happy with the Superdual, especially for the price. In fact I reckoned it was awesome overall.

Brembo brakes offer strong performance, particularly on the rear, although the single front rotor keeps stopping power at moderate levels.

The Superdual is also tall with an 860mm seat height, with long travel suspension featuring 45mm adjustable forks on the front and a Sachs adjustable rear shock, with an easy external preload adjuster. Front travel is 210mm with 270mm on the rear.

The spartan seat is well integrated and reasonably comfortable for short stints, like an hour, or if you’re keeping your weight through the ‘pegs for the fun stuff, but after a 10 hour day, mainly in the saddle I was in serious pain. This was with 10kg of camera gear strapped to my back, which doesn’t help, but if I was buying this bike with an eye to lots of touring I’d need to find a solution, like a gel seat cushion or WildAss.

While the Superdual isn’t the off-road variant of the line, it’s still a credible choice for having some off-road fun if the majority of your riding will be on the tarmac, and the dirt-bike like ergonomics ensure comfort and control

The engine is a typical single-cylinder thumper, with a nice strong torquey pull, tall gearing and fun acceleration. Start-up did require priming the fuel pump (via the kill switch) three times and using the manual ‘fast isdle’ with the clutch in, but if you follow this procedure it normally starts first time. Even warm though, you’ll normally need to follow these steps as it could be difficult to star.

Gearing is tall, and to be honest I thought the tachometer display on the dash was broken as it didn’t seem to be moving for my normal riding. You can switch to a numbered rev readout on the display though, which proved it was moving through the rev range, but if you’re not hooning you’ll generally be below 5000rpm. In fact 130km/h cruising was around the 5000rpm mark in top gear. That is with lots to spare too…

On the road the single offers linear power and rewards an aggressive throttle hand and holding your gears.

Pull is strong from down low, as long as you aren’t lugging the engine, and vibrations aren’t too bad overall, keeping in mind this is a single. Power delivery is also nice and linear, and can be quite deceiving. At one point when I swapped with Jeff (riding the Tracer), who took a turn riding the Superdual, he commented it didn’t seem very powerful, which left me scratching my head.

When we did roll-ons with our Long Term MT-07 Tracer it was right there, except on the top gear roll on, where the Tracer had a bit more punch down low, while the Superdual was lugging a little and lost that initial jump, then kept up. The Tracer boasts 38kW claimed to the LAMS Superduals’ 35kW, although our Tracer has had noticeable gains thanks to performance mods.

There’s more than enough grunt for highway overtaking, with 130km/h (displayed) a mellow 5000rpm in top gear.

On the dirt that linear single was also great fun, offering predictable, easily controlled and confidence inspiring riding. The pace was probably sedate compared to what hardcore off-road riders will do, but the SWM was just all out fun, especially for my level of experience, which is unabashedly basic when it comes to off-road.

Overall handling is great, but obviously incredibly different from your modern sports or nakedbike. Too much input on the ‘bars and you may initially find turn-in too fast and aggressive around town but I put that down to the thinner tyres, and being used to supersport type tyres. There’s also not a huge arc on the steering itself with quite tight steering stops, which stops the bike folding and doesn’t hinder really low speed maneuvering purely with the ‘bars.

Low speed handling is nimble, with a more flowing approach needed at speed, but rewarding all the same.

Once you’re used to the Superdual it’s great, with the tall upright seating position giving good vision, with easy maneuverability between ‘bar input and your usual body language. It’s no supermotard, but handling is sharp, precise and nimble around town.

Out on the open road there’s not that much lean involved, with the SWM favouring flowing lines and plenty of throttle coming out of the corners, with exceptional stability. Barreling through the tight stuff is also great fun too, while on unsealed surfaces you’ve got good predictable handling. A little clutch and light rear brake for control, along with that willing single and it’s clear riding.

Suspension for me at 70kg was a real standout, with adjustability and long travel ensuring a smooth ride, without removing a sporty character.

A big factor in the handling is the suspension which is very well supported, for my 70kg weight (plus 10kg of camera gear) it was well damped, with controlled compression and a smooth predictable suspension action front and rear. The single front brake offers good (adequate) but limited braking performance, and there’s no extreme dive into the forks as a result.

The rear brake has more bite and power, which helps keep the bike stable and ensures around town riding and trailing brakes through the corners is natural and doesn’t unsettle the bike. Add in that nice linear single deceleration and you’ve got an extremely well balanced package, from the engine and chassis, through to the suspension and brakes.

The rear brake carries the most bite of the system and is a Brembo offering like the front.

The suspension was probably the standout to me to be honest, as it ensured a smooth ride both on the road and on the unsealed sections and the dirt, but this wasn’t done by trading off performance in any other area to a noticeable effect. We upped tyre pressures as well after a flat, which did add a little more harshness to the ride, and didn’t lower the pressures for our off-road section, which would be sure to improve the handling further in that situation.

But with plenty of room for adjustment, nice long travel and that easy rear external preload adjuster, it really is a great package.

Jeff put the Superdual through some rougher off-road testing, although we ran road pressures throughout

So how does the SWM 650 Superdual stack up? It’s a ripper if you ask me.

The overall package is exceptional, there’s great fun to be had whether you’re commuting or out having a bit of a fang, and the dual sport package means the bike will handle the rough stuff with ease and comfort.

We had the flat tyre (at BikeReview.com.au HQ luckily) and a bolt came out of the ‘bar end, which held one end of the hand guard on, but the guard was still there after all the unsealed road sections, and that was the sum of the problems faced after well over 500km of testing

Long travel suspension makes the Superdual a great option for Aussie rodes and a bit of off-roading

To really look for something to criticise the styling is a little basic, as is the finish on the engine, although I’m from a road bike background and that specific area has improved greatly in the last 10-15 years. Apart from that everything just works, and it’s easy to see the development that has gone into the Superdual.

The bike is on the tall side, so shorter riders could struggle and I probably wouldn’t recommend this as your very first road bike option, unless you’re a larger rider and can get both feet flat to the ground, or come from a motorcycling background.

The tall seat height (860mm) do make the Superdual more ideal for taller riders and those with a little more experience.

But purely from the perspective of a fully licenced rider I found the Superdual a great offering, fuel economy was great at over 20km/L, and I could commute on it every day, whether that was on the highway or stuck in city traffic. The off-road ability ticked all the boxes for me – and this is the road orientated version – the Metzeler Tourance are designed for 90 per cent road and 10 per cent off-road, so with something a little more off-road orientated it would only improve.

If I was looking for a dual-sport/adventure-commuter with strong off-road abilities this would be right at the top of my list, especially at the buy-in. In fact it’s much like the Royal Enfield Himalayan or Kawasaki Versys-X 300, except taking that same theme to the next level, with a higher but still great value price, and the better appointed specifications to match.

The Superdual offers a fun, easily handled road bike, with a willing single and nimble handling, as well as all the right characteristics for the occasional off-road venture.

SWM 650 Superdual Tech Talk

The SWM Superdual features a liquid-cooled DOHC single-cylinder four-stroke, running Mikuni EFI and producing 35kW in the LAMS restricted version in Australia. Start is electric, while the engine capacity is actually 600cc with a bore and stroke of 100 x 76.4mm.

The 600cc (despite being called the 650) DOHC single-cylinder offers linear performance and good thrills in the right hands

A six-speed gearbox features relatively tall gearing, with a wet multi-plate clutch with hydraulic control offering easy gear changes through the slick gearbox. Engine braking is typical of a single being linear and controlled.

The chassis consists of a steel round-pipe single beam double crade main frame, with a light alloy sub-frame, with a trail of 120mm, while suspension is long travel USD Fast Ace 45mm forks with full adjustability, and a Sachs rear shock with external pre-load adjuster. Travel is 210 and 270mm respectively, offering a plush but well supported rider (test rider weight 70kg).

Despite weighing 159kg dry, the Superdual feels light even at very low speeds and will easy crawl along as a snails pace with a little clutch work.

Brakes are a single 300mm front rotor, with Brembo two-piston caliper offering gentle bite and easy modulation. The rear 220mm rotor and Brembo caliper offers more bite and is ideal for the majority of braking duties. ABS is not fitted and the Metzeler Tourance tyres offered good dry grip and unsealed road feel during testing.

Wheels are a 2.50 x 19in front and 3.50 x 17in rear, with the rims made by the same company as Giant motorcycles. Tyres are tubed, 110/80 – 19 and 140/80 – 17, with a wheelbase of 1510mm. Dry weight is 159kg, with a 19L fuel tank and fuel economy remained over 20km/L during testing.

The SWM Superdual is a dual-sport single-cylinder offering with great suspension, strong performance and brakes and an overall great value package, capable of handling a broad range of riding conditions. It’s the perfect value dual-sport, with long travel suspension and easy handling, plus great standard features like crash bars, sump guard, hand guards, and rear rack…

I have done over 4000kms on my Superdual and its been faultless with 50% of my riding off road (and around 20% very snotty off road) the S/D has been fantastic!

No bike is perfect – regardless on how much it costs, as I have had new Triumphs, Ducatis, Suzukis and Yamahas. And ALL have had some issue at some point. So for $10,500 you would think they would have more! But to my pleasant surprise very little and no MAJOR issues that will affect the bikes reliability.

First I would like to get the bad points of the bike out of the way:
1. Key is VERY diffucalt to get in and out (but you get used to it).
2. Yes I agree the seat is not the best and I modified mine (as I have also done with my new Triumph and Ducati).
3. The Screen is VERY buffeting (as to was my Triumph 1050 Tiger Sport) I put a different screen on, or you could put on a top screen mount.
4. As per what you said the Starting can be an issue until you know the technique.
5. A bit more travel on the front would be good – but progressive springs would help this (as it did on my Ducati).
6. The rear brake is probably a little to harsh for dirt riding, but perfect for sealed roads.
7. The bolt near the shock adjuster side/rear sub frame near passenger foot peg is too long and thin and has snapped on a few bikes (not mine), you need to keep an eye on it – this would be the only major fault the bike has and hopefully will be fixed with 2018 models.
8. Not a two up bike (solo only).

Good Points
1. Excellent value for money, as comes standard with ALL the bells and whistles that we normally spend 2-3 grand on.
2. Six speed, fuel injected, rear cush drive, fantastic suspension and brakes with braided lines.
3. 18L tank with a range of around 400kms.
4. VERY easy to service, as in oil change, filters, spark plug, and valve clearances (all this saves time and money and makes it a pleasure to service).
5. Its VERY good off road, I also have a DRZ400 and if I was rating it out of 10 in the bush (in the snotty stuff) would probably give it an 7 out of 10 – the S/D I would give a 6 out of 10 (mainly because of weight and front travel). But on normal dirt roads and good fire trails would give an 8 out of 10, and the DRZ a 7 out of 10 – due to a five speed box.
6. Light Weight 179kg wet (comparded to other ADV bikes) on fire trails – not snotty stuff.
7. Handles fantastic on dirt and sealed roads, you get plenty of feel through the front end and in the twisties is like a Supermoto.
8. Front brake is perfect for an non-ABS bike on both the Dirt and Tar. The rear I have already stated as too harsh on dirt, but great for sealed roads.
9. Build quality is very good and the bolts etc that they use and TOP quality, the paint work is not the best but ok. The bike is built VERY TOUGH indeed. (my Ducati and Triumph had not very good paint finish either and the Ducati bolts made of swish cheese).
10. Also the motor and gearbox are SWEET AS! Very smooth a pleasure to ride.

So all up I am EXTREMELY pleased with the SWM 650 Superdual and if you wanted a modern light weight AD/Dual sport, Solo bike that is pretty much ready to go straight out of the box and are planning to do at least 50% off road its the bike of choice (it will out class, out perform and out handle its rivals the KLR650 AND DR650 any day of the week).

January 8, 2018

Steve

Hi Paul

Many thanks for your information – apreciate it!

Can you tell me what the service manual says about replacing the timing chain and things like that? I read somewhere else that it needs a replacement every 5000km and that a mechanic would need around 5 hours to do that.
In Germany, where I come fron, it would cost me around 750 Euros – every 5000km!!

If this is true, I have to rethink my decision for buying this otherwise great bike.

Have a great New Year!
Steve

January 9, 2018

Steve

Hi guys

What happened to my post from yesterday? Did I do something wrong?

Cheers
Steve from Germany

January 9, 2018

Bike Review

Hey Steve, it was just waiting approval. We’ll chase up the importer and see if we can get some answers for you.

January 10, 2018

Steve

Hi guys

I apologize for being inpatient. Wasn’t aware of it!

I contacted SWM via their mail adress found on their italian website.
After a few mails back and forth over a couple of days, they finally send me a link to the owner manual. It’s for the Euro 3 version, which is no longer available because of the stu..p laws over here. But a few dealers can oder the new Euro 4 version and about three of them have one Euro 4 version in stock.
Unfortunately there are no service intervals mentioned in the owner manual.

I asked them again now (about the fourth time) to send me the information about the service intervals. If I get no answer, I might go for the Husqvarna 701 Enduro (dual purpose) or the KTM 690 Enduro R (which was discontinued in Europe).

I am looking forward to get the information, because I am still very interested in the Superdual X.

Again, many thanks!!
Steve

January 12, 2018

Tori

Timing chain maintenance on these engines (I own a Husqvarna TE630) is every 20,000km (not every 5k). This is information from a past Husqvarna dealer who is now a SWM dealer.

January 16, 2018

Steve

Hi Tori

Many thanks for your information – appreciate it!!

20’000km for a timing chain replacement (or do you say change?) is not as good as expected. Especially when compared with other manufacturers like Honda or. But than there is nothing that compares to the SWM Superdual – except the AJP P7, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro and CCM from the UK. I don’t know about CCM for sure having heard that they have discontinued or even being out of business?

Anyway, I have a dealer not far away from where I live and will check the SWM Superdual out. This might be the one motorcycle in my price range for adventure travel. Even though a service is required at least every 5’000 km.

January 19, 2018

Steve

Since there are many different weights mentioned on different websites and even from SWM, I asked SWM Italy to give me the true weight. Unfortunately I got no answer.

Now a dealer was so kind and put it on a scale.
To my dissapointment the weight with almost full tank is 219 KG. The bike was stock, nothing added or changed.

This just to let you know.

January 19, 2018

Steve

I forgot to mention that this weight is for the Euro4 Superdual. It comes with ABS and I guess with a more heavy exhaust system, which will add some weight to it compared to the non ABS and non Euro4 Superdual.

January 28, 2018

Alex

I’ve clocked up 840ks in the week since pickup, it is the Super Dual X (Panniers, driving lights, hand guards, 21 and 18 inch wheels). I headed straight for my single track after the highway run home, and the bike has taken on everything I’ve thrown at it, but I’m also aware of its limitations, it ain’t no GasGas 300 (my other ride).

I’m grateful the ABS is switchable cause it’s a pain off-road. It’s weighted really well, on or off road, a pleasure to hustle around , even standing up at walking speeds, the handle bar to peg height is smack on, for me the screen works perfect, I can wear my mx helmet with goggles. The seat for some might be a bit hard, for me its fine.

Starting is fine, even after a flame out in tight single, fired up instantly, rode the wheels of it today and came away mega impressed, from single track to winding country roads with the final run down the highway. Not just brilliant at $11500 ride away, just a bloody good thing full stop.

January 31, 2018

Bike Review

Awesome Alex!

February 2, 2018

Steve

Sounds great Alex! I wish we could just go off road here in Germany. There are only very few kind of fire roads where we can go. Everything else is prohibited by law. And the police and most citizens will stop and report you, if the caught you riding on prohibited roads.

In Switzerland there is not one single spot where you can go except for the public roads. In Italy there a some more roads open for motorbikes. But in central Europe no real off road is possible anymore. It’s all because of the “environmental” laws and CO2…

I envy you for being in Australia!!! I hope I can come one day and ride real adventure. For now I am dreaming and planning a ride to eastern Europe, Russia, China and from there to India.

February 2, 2018

Bike Review

Hey Steve,
Don’t worry we have our fair share of that over here – you’ll even get people complaining, when you’re in areas you’re allowed to use. Luckily there’s still opportunities, with some places having more areas/tracks than others. We seem to be heading the same direction sadly.

February 25, 2019

Marcus

Considering an adventure bike and tossing up between the SWM and a dr 650… I’d love the Husky 701 but too much $$ for something I want to take around Anglesea hills and occasional road trip 200km.

The DR is old tech but reliable, with plenty of add one availabile.

The SWM Superdual is newer old tech, a little unproven, poor resale and unsure re servicing…

An RS 500 with a safari tank might be the ideal for what I want off-road, not sure if it’s capable of 200k road trips though.

Very keen for any thoughts, my previous bike was a wr450 a few years but I’m older and would snap in half if I fell off at speed now !